The total length of the expressway network in China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang has exceeded 5,000 kilometers, according to the provincial department of transportation.

The milestone was passed with the completion of two expressway sections on Friday. Heilongjiang now has eight expressways extending beyond the province.

The completion of the two road sections also extended the province's major transportation channels to the south, with the extension expected to boost economic exchanges between Heilongjiang and other northeastern provinces such as Jilin and Liaoning.

China's operational expressway length totaled 177,000 kilometers by the end of 2022, and China remains the country with the greatest total expressway length in the world, the Ministry of Transport said last month.